HOGAN BLASTS ‘FAR-LEFT LUNACY’ IN POLICE FUNDING PLAN: Gov. Larry Hogan, decrying what he claimed is “an all-out assault on the entire law enforcement community” and singling out political leaders in Baltimore for the city’s violent crime, pitched a $150 million boost in state spending on police and public safety at a Friday news conference in Annapolis, reports Bryn Stole for the Sun.
- “Our $150 million refund the police initiative will provide a desperately needed shot in the arm to our state and local police agencies. But there is far more work to be done,” Hogan said at a news conference at the State House in Annapolis. Bryan Renbaum reports the story for Maryland Reporter.
- Local and state police departments in Maryland will receive the dramatic increase in funding under a plan Gov. Larry Hogan (R) dubbed his “re-fund the police initiative,” chiding efforts to divert police funds and spend the money on other community programs, Ovetta Wiggins and Kate Mettler of the Post reports.
- Hogan denounced calls to divert police funding to other social services as “dangerous, radical, far-left lunacy,” and said, “the reality is that our police are underfunded and under attack,” reports Danielle Gaines for Maryland Matters.
STATE, PET SHOP REACH AGREEMENT OVER SICK PUPPY SALES: A pet shop with locations in Rockville and Towson will no longer be able to sell dogs in Maryland and the company will have to pay civil fines to the customers to whom it sold sick dogs pursuant to a settlement agreement with the state, Bryan Renbaum reports for Maryland Reporter.
- Just Puppies was fined $500,000 as part of a settlement with state Attorney General’s Office, which says the stores violated state law by selling dogs, Dan Schere of Bethesda Beat reports. Just Puppies’ fine could be reduced to $100,000 if the company complies with the terms of the settlement.
BLACK CAUCUS HOLDS GOVERNOR CANDIDATE FORUM: Black policymakers challenged gubernatorial candidates to elaborate on their strategies to create equity, inclusion and ownership through their “Black Agendas” at a reception Thursday evening, Hannah Gaskill of Maryland Matters reports.
OPINION: FICKER SHOULDN’T CLAIM THAT: In Brian Griffiths October ranking of gubernatorial candidates, he takes Robin Ficker to task, calling him an “ an old white guy.” Ficker’s offense? Griffiths explains.
PEDIATRIC COVID CASES UP, BUT NOT ENORMOUSLY: Six weeks after students returned to school, Maryland’s pediatric COVID infection rates cases have gone up — but not to the same level seen in Southern states that saw rampant infections and quarantines that shut down schools. Liz Bowie reports that officials credit a statewide mandatory masking mandate that took effect in early September, as well as being diligent about testing, social distancing and other safety measures.
NUMBER OF VAXXED POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS UNKNOWN: The first full week of mandates requiring all municipal workers in Baltimore and Baltimore County to either be vaccinated or undergo regular testing has begun, but tabulating the exact number of police and firefighters who complied remains a work in progress, Jessica Anderson reports for the Sun.
DESPITE MIZEUR WINDFALL, HARRIS LEADS IN CASH: Former state Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D) grabbed headlines earlier this month, when she announced that she had raised more than $1 million this year for her bid to oust U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R) in the 1st congressional district. But through Sept. 30, Harris still had a substantial advantage in cash on hand, Josh Kurtz reports for Maryland Matters.
BAINUM NEWSPAPER PLAN IS ALL DIGITAL: Marc Tracy of the New York Times writes that Stewart W. Bainum Jr.’s planned digital news outlet, The Baltimore Banner, will have an annual operating budget of $15 million, and Mr. Bainum is looking to hire an editor in chief and a staff of 50 journalists, the newspaper consultant Imtiaz Patel, an adviser to Mr. Bainum, said on Thursday.
Innovation Ahead: Advanced Energy & Carbon Emissions Reduction: Cutting-edge products & technologies being developed now will be mainstream in the future. Join the Maryland Clean Energy Center for a FREE webinar on October 18th, as presenters highlight innovative technologies as well as the resources and investment necessary to move them through the “valley of death” to the marketplace in the future.
PG COUNCIL REJECTS INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL: A sharply divided Prince George’s County Council last week flung aside a council redistricting proposal that had been crafted by an independent commission. By a vote of 6-4, lawmakers approved a broad set of changes at a tense, occasionally acrimonious online session marked by vigorous protests from lawmakers who claimed the alterations were hatched in secret and sprung on them at the last moment, Bruce DePuyt of Maryland Matters reports.
MAYOR SCOTT OUT OF QUARANTINE: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott returned Friday to City Hall following a 10-day quarantine prompted by a positive coronavirus test result, Emily Opilo of the Sun reports.
ALMOST 76% OF MO CO RESIDENTS VAXXED: More than 75% of all Montgomery County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and nearly 85% are at least partially vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bethesda Beat reports.
FREDERICK MAYOR CANDIDATE FACES MORE ASSAULT CHARGES: A Frederick mayoral candidate faces additional charges in an alleged July assault after an indictment issued Friday. Steven Lee Hamrick Jr., 35, was indicted Friday on charges of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, use of a firearm in a violent crime, illegal possession of ammunition, reckless endangerment and two counts each of possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, disqualified possession of a shotgun or rifle and possession of rifle or shotgun with a felony conviction, reports Ryan Marshall for the Frederick News-Post.
ARUNDEL BILL TARGETS CRITICAL RACE THEORY: Anne Arundel County Councilman Nathan Volke has proposed a bill to further define the term “discrimination” under county law and to prohibit the use of county funding for discrimination, as the bill defines it, saying such “discrimination, sometimes found in critical race theory” inflames division, Rachael Pacella of the Capital Gazette reports. The bill is similar to to other legislation being proposed in local and state legislatures around the country dealing with “critical race theory.”
